Gotham: Not What They Seem
by ghostgirl208
Summary: A young Harleen Quinzel rescues a strange man from the Court Of Owl's abandoned lair. It turns out to be Edward Nygma and just maybe, the one trapped in the ice is not who they seem. Will Ed be able to rescue Oswald? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Broken

Edward struggled to open his eyes, he felt pain coursing through his body. 'Where am I?' he asked himself. The last thing he remembered was going to shop for some wine for the dinner with Oswald then everything had gone black. 'Os..Oswald..where is he?' Edward thought, his heart pounding when his vision finally focused. He realized he was in some kind of pod, with strange medical tabs attached to his face. He eased them off and started kicking at the lid, eventually busting it open and stumbling out. He clutched his head, wincing and feeling disoriented, his vision swam. Suddenly, the door burst open and an unknown figure raised a gun, preparing to kill him. "You served your purpose mister Nygma. Now it's time to end it." a voice said. Edward shook his head, backing away. "O..oh dear.." he said, his eyes rolling into his head. Then a loud crash, and a flash of light. "Don't even think about it!" A loud voice yelled. Edward winced, clutching his head as he barely saw the blur beating and maiming his attacker. When he assumed he had been knocked out, Ed fell against the wall, crying out in pain as he fell back against the wall. The blur hurried toward him, he could feel hands grabbing him, trying to help him up.

"Hey, mistah? Ya okay? Ya gonna have ta hang on for me!" the voice now obivously female said. "Os...Oswald...I have to..he..needs.." Ed never finished his sentence as he soon slipped down, landing on his back unconcious. The girl sighed. 'Guess I'll have ta drag mistah potato out of here.' she thought to herself in annoyance as she heaved the strange man up, putting one arm around her shoulders and practically dragged him out of the Court of Owls lair. She eventually managed to arrive at her home which was an abandoned hotel north of the Diamond District in Gotham City. The girl grunted, dragging the man inside, grinning at the sound of a little yip in front of her. "Chewie, baby! Happy to see mommy?" she asked. A little chihuahua puppy came up to her, sniffing and letting out small growls.

"Relax, darlin', he's not ya dinner!" she dragged the young man to a room where she flopped him unceremoniously on the bed. She looked him over, finding a few bruises and cuts adorning him and his suit was torn. "Ya poor thing. What happened to ya?" a distinct meow caught her attention and she sighed, turning her attention to an orange tabby cat. "Aw Precious! I got ya something don't worry!" she said, gently petting the cat while it purred under her hand. The girl turned her attention back to the odd man she had rescued and gently removed his glasses and placed them on the night stand next to him. Sighing, she grabbed a first aid kit and started working on fixing him up. Most of the injuries were to his face though. For the most part, he was still alive but she knew he would be weak when he first woke up. The man was sickly pale, he looked drained, sweat beading his brow.

The girl sighed, wetting a rag and gently placing it on his head in an attempt to cool him down. 'This guy must be sick after what they've been giving him.' she thought to herself. Now that she thought of it, didn't this guy look familiar? She looked at him closely before she gave a comical gasp. "Tha Chess Killer! That's who you are! Pfft! Not in ya usual green suit though." she said, chuckling to herself. She jumped off the bed and started skipping off to feed her other animals. A few hours past and Ed slowly woke up to something warm on top of him. Groaning, he reached for his glasses and put them on and looked at the source of the mysterious warmth and nearly gasped at the small furry creature resting on his stomach. "Oh dear.." he breathed out, he took in his surroundings, realizing he was most likely in an abandoned hotel.

The events leading to this suddenly came crashing to him in a rush, Oswald attempting to tell him something important, touring a school where he asked him to come to the mansion for dinner with him, going for some wine, then nothing. "Oswald...oh...Oswald.." Ed was just about to try and get up, almost forgetting about the puppy resting on him until the door opened and a dark haired girl no older than thirteen entered, a steaming cup of noodles in her hand and a bottle of orange juice in the other. "Hey, you! Ya can't get out of bed! Ya sick!" The girl said. Ed tried not to glare at her, instead letting a frustrated sigh. "Who are you?" he asked, voice low and raspy. The girl smiled cheerfully at him. "Harleen. But everyone calls me Harley! I've seen ya in tha papers. Mistah Chess Killer." Harley said, trying to hold in her laughter. "Wait..chess killer?" Ed asked. "What are you talking about?" he was confused. Since when would he have earned a preposterous name like that? "Ya don't remember? Sometimes I'd watch tv and I always saw you with tha new mayor. They said ya killed him." Harley said simply. Ed looked at her, eyes wide. "I..I would never do that to Oswald!" Ed sputtered, he felt his heart sink. 'Oh dear...is he alive? What happened!?" Ed felt his mind scream, he attempted to stand once more when a small whimper shook him out of it. Harley instantly ran and scooped the small puppy into her arms.

"Ya should've let him sleep ya dope! This is little Chewie. I found him in an alley. Poor baby." she said, holding the puppy and cooing to it as though it were a child. "I think he likes ya." she said after a moment. "I..I really appreciate you saving me but I have to get back. I need to find Oswald. I have to know what happened." Harley still looked at him in confusion. "People say ya hate him." she said. Edward looked at her, shaking his head. "I-what? No! I could never think ill of him!" Ed said, coughing loudly. Harley instantly grabbed the soup and offered it to him. "Ya very sick mistah. I got ya some soup from the grocery store. Technically I stole it but it healthier then tha stuff i nab on a daily basis." Harley explained. Ed cautiously took the soup from her and ate some, soon realizing how hungry he was and started to greedily devour the ramen noodles mixed with an assortment of carrots, corn and peas. Harley smiled gleefully at him. "Try ta slow down, Mistah Chess Killer! Ya don't need a tummy ache." she said. Ed swallowed and slowed down a little, eating a few more noodles and then drinking the liquid from the soup. He placed the foam cup down and leaned back. "Please..don't call me the chess killer." Ed said after awhile, allowing himself to relax. Harley tilted her head.

"What would ya like me ta call ya?" she asked as she looked at him with amusement. Ed sighed sleepily as he began to sink under the covers. "Ed. Call me Ed." he said as he finally fell asleep once more. Harley smiled. "Ed it is!" she said as she sat Chewie down so she could tuck Ed in and make sure he was warm. "Sleep tight!" she said as she took the now empty soup cup and went to go tend to her many animals. She was excited about her new friend, not many people paid much attention to her due to her love of animals. Some had even called her a freak. But then again, Harley believed she could do whatever she wanted, she had no one to control her, at least, not anymore. Harley sighed as she fed her pet ferret whom she'd named Squeaky. She had found him barely alive next to a dumpster. She hated people who just treated these innocent creatures like playthings to be disposed of. It wasn't fair to them. Harley had been around the worst districts in Gotham and witnessed such cruelty on a daily basis. Despite the fact that she could barely feed herself she started taking in homeless, abandoned street pets. As of now, she had three dogs, four cats, a pet ferret, two hamsters and five parrots. Harley loved them all dearly, they were her best friends.

And perhaps now, she had an actual human friend who would obiviously be different from her animal friends. Harley was happy to have found him, if not for her, he would most likely be dead. But then she remembered, he had someone important that he needs to get back to. The former mayor of Gotham or as Ed had called him, Oswald. She had seen the look in his eyes when he spoke about him. If there was one word Harley could use to describe it, it would be love. And happiness. Harley didn't want to get in the way of that. Love was a very precious and fickle thing. It could bring you happiness or it could destroy you. Harley didn't know much about it, having stayed away from it most of her life but she decided she would help her friend out.

 **So this is the start of a new project I'm working on. This idea wouldn't let me sleep so I hope you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Without Wings

The next day, Oswald sat at the table in the dining room. It had been a month since he did it. Every night it haunted him, Ed's smirk as he held a gun to his head, the look he had when he became frozen. Sometimes Oswald could bring himself out of bed, it always took everything in him to hold in the tears. One would expect that besting The Riddler would've made him happy and for a while it did. But every day he was reminded of what he lost. He missed when Ed would join him for breakfast, or talk about some random fact or hell even a riddle. But Ed would never tell him anything ever again, never smile his way, never look at him with adoration or affection not that it mattered anyway. He learned the hard way that people like him don't deserve love. He'd never regret killing Isabella but he did regret losing Ed. Ivy was the only real friend he had. Perhaps Ed never meant anything he told him, maybe he never cared. Oswald sighed as he finally stood up, limping to the kitchen to dispose of the last of his breakfast. Suddenly, he heard loud thumping and braced himself. "Morning Pengy!" Ivy cried, nearly making Oswald jump as she hugged him. Oswald sighed, too tired to get annoyed with her. "Morning Ivy. You look excited about something." Oswald said, feeling suspicious. Last time Ivy was this excited, it meant she had found a guy she thought he could date. Needless to say, Oswald was not pleased. He never wanted to fall in love ever again, it only brings pain and heartache. Oswald couldn't go through that again, he had to erase his feelings for Ed. Ed hated him and he always would. He tried to kill him twice after all, despite everything he had done for him, getting him out of Arkham, giving him a job, a home and his friendship and love.

But in a heartbeat, Edward had thrown everything away in favor of a random girl he didn't know, who wore his dead girlfriend's face. It seemed even if Oswald had confessed his love for him before it wouldn't have mattered, Edward would still have rejected him and betrayed him. Ivy's squealing brought him out of his brooding session. "Well, actually there's this new street kid who's been asking for you! She has a brother who would like to work for you at the Lounge!" she said happily. Oswald rolled his eyes as he turned to her. "I think I have enough waiters." he said. Ivy sighed. "Please Pengy? What if he's cute?" Oswald winced as he turned to look at her. "Ivy, I already said-" but Ivy cut him off as she crossed her arms. "I know, I will never make that mistake again. I'm sorry Pengy, but I want you to be happy! Ever since..He happened you've been stuck in this house either brooding or raging." Ivy said, concern clear in her voice.

Oswald sighed, giving her a soft glare. He wasn't mad at her for pointing out his behaviour, it was true. He just didn't like that she had been able to catch on. He had been miserable, freezing Ed had been a more plausible idea than killing him, then again, Fries had told him that Edward could most likely be dead in the ice anyway. In which case, the ice box could be considered a cold, watery grave. Oswald hoped he wasn't really dead, but he'd never tell anyone that. No one could know he still...'No stop thinking about it!' Oswald yelled at himself internally. "Fine. Ivy I'll look into it, but please do me a favor and not try to play matchmaker?" he said looking at her sternly. Ivy sighed, giving him a small small smile. "Okay Pengy. I won't. Promise!" Ivy said as she swiftly turned and left, leaving Oswald to his own devices. Oswald sighed, finally finished with the dishes and limped upstairs to his room. He winced when he leaned against his bad leg.

Edward used to massage his leg at night, he remembered how his nimble fingers rubbed and pressed against it, easing the tension and pain off it after a long day on his feet. Oswald never asked him to do it yet for some reason the slightest inclination Oswald had been in pain, Edward would rush to his aide, helping him up the stairs and seating him on his bed and massaged his leg. He was always so gentle, always asking him if he wanted him to stop. Oswald would always smile and shake his head, actually feeling lucky that Edward was doing this for him and not because he wanted something in return. It was what had him thinking that just maybe, Edward had loved him too. He had always looked at him with such strong adoration and affection that Oswald always blushed, sometimes he'd swear Edward would smirk at him when he'd turn away. But when Isabella appeared he acted...different. No longer was there light in his eyes, no longer did he send him what could be considered a flirtatious smile, no longer did he hug him or even massage his leg.

If he had been in pain Edward would ignore him and leave him to help himself, in fact when he told Edward he had almost been killed by Tetch Edward had simply shrugged as though he could care less. It stung him to think he didn't care. However, there was once Oswald thought he saw an odd looking incision in Edward's throat. He'd caught a glimpse of the same thing on Isabella, which had barely been covered by makeup. He had tried mentioning it to Ed at one point, more out of genuine worry than anything else but Edward didn't take kindly to Oswald's concern for him. It seemed more and more like Oswald had been a replacement for Kristen Kringle and nothing more. When he planned to kill her, it wasn't just out of jealousy. He remembered hearing her speaking over the phone with someone. "Don't worry, he's helplessly in love with me. He'll never see it coming." she had said.

Oswald had felt the familiar rage swell up in him and in desperation he had Gabe cut her brakes. Perhaps he had been a bit rash in killing her so quickly but he couldn't let her kill Ed although after everything he'd been through, what would happen if he had? If that was what Ed really wanted, should he have allowed her to kill him? Oswald realized then that he'd never let Ed get himself killed even if he wanted him to. He would've killed her again if given the chance. Maybe this time, showing the evidence in Ed's face and doing it with him. But he couldn't think about that now. Ed was gone and he had decided he was going to move on and pretend he never existed. It was better that way after all. Oswald shook himself out of his brooding session and limped into his room to prepare for the day.

Meanwhile, back at the abandoned hotel, Harley cheerfully skipped into the room Ed now resided in. "Eddie! Wake up I got good news!" she practically squealed. Edward woke up with a groan, slowly sitting up and clutching his head. "Harley...could you please use your inside voice?" Edward asked, his voice soft with sleep. Harley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure whateva! Listen! I found ya Penguin! Tonight he's supposed ta open up his club and I have a way of getting ya ta see him!" Harley said with an excited squeal. Edward looked at her in surprise. "What...a club? But..I thought.." Harley sighed. "He lost his position as mayor. After everyone thought he was dead, they replaced him with Aubrey James." she explained. Edward looked at her, visibly pailing. "He..he's not mayor anymore?" Harley shook her head. "Nope. And you're not chief of staff anymore. You're wanted at the GCPD." she said. Edward let it sink in. 'Oh dear..how did this happen?'

"Ya should be fine Eddie. Don't ya worry about that. I got ya a disguise!" Harley said before she skipped off again, leaving Edward to collect himself. Slowly he got up and followed her to what he believed was her room. There were splashes, of red, black, pink and green on the walls, the bed was a simple old mattress and he honestly wondered how she could sleep on it. There were piles of blankets on each side which he assumed were for her pets. 'She must have more of them.' Ed thought to himself. "Here it is! Ya suit for tonight!" Harley said, showing him a black tuxedo in a 'ta da' fashion. Edward took the suit, his eyes going wide. "People still think ya the chess killer so I got ya something with not a stitch of green. And some contacts!" Harley said as she turned and started rummaging for them.

Edward stared at the suit, swallowing hard. "They're supposed ta give ya the appearance of having different colored won't need ya glasses at least." she said as she swiftly turned to him with a smirk. Edward looked at them then at Harley. "Are you sure about this?" he asked nervously. Harley giggled. "Yes! Ya need ta be unrecognizable Eddie! Least till we can convince Penguin ya not gonna kill him." Harley said with a look. Edward sighed. "Okay. But what about my glasses? He'll realize it's me without them." he said. Harley bit her lip before she stood up on tiptoe and removed Ed's glasses making him let out a surprised, "Hey!" in response and grabbed a pair of shades from her vanity and reached to place them on his face. "There ya are Mistah Chess Killer! Now no one knows it you!" she squeaked in excitement. To be honest, Edward couldn't see much behind the shades, everything blurred out in front of him. "Uh..I think these will look better with the contacts Harley." he told her, his eyes blinking rapidly.

Harley rolled her eyes, huffing. "I know that genius! I just needed to find out how they'd look. And ya look real nice Mistah Chess Killer!" Edward cringed when she said that yet again. "I don't even know how I got that name! Please don't call me that." he said in exasperation. Harley giggled at him. "Yeah sure cupcake. Go and get ready! The Iceberg Lounge is opening tonight and he's accepting auditions! Ya wanna see him don't ya?" she asked, looking at him questioningly. Edward nodded slowly. "I have to know what happened. They did something to me. And I think they may have done something to him too." he said. Harley smiled and helped him with putting on the contact lenses. They gave him the appearance of having pretty blue eyes, which seemed to sparkle when under the light. "I'll leave ya ta put on your suit! Let me know when you're ready!" Harley said as she skipped out. Edward blinked as he adjusted to wearing contacts for the first time. They made his eyes itch ever so slightly but weren't too uncomfortable. He looked at the suit still in the plastic bag and slowly put it on and looked at himself in the mirror. It wasn't something he'd normally wear but it looked good enough.

He looked at himself in the mirror and almost gasped and couldn't help the small smile that creased his features. The suit jacket was black, with a wine colored button down shirt and a black bow tie. He had to admit, the outfit reminded him of something Oswald would where. His dear Mr Penguin, Ossie as his dark self would usually call him. He missed him so much. He missed the way he'd smile up at him, eyes sparkling with mischeif and happiness, how he'd blush when he'd grin at him, how his arms around him felt. His heart ached remembering that night. When Oswald asked him to dinner, something in the back of his mind told him that Oswald felt the same and was going to tell him that night. Ed wanted to get them something special for their evening together. But as everything else in his life, it went wrong. He was kidnapped and Oswald had probably been hurt by an imposter. In any case, he needed to find him and make sure he was alright. Edward soon left, knocking on a door that he thought Harley was in. "Just a sec! I'll be right out!" there was some hurried shuffling and then the door opened, revealing Harley wearing a long sleeved dark red dress with a black wrap around her middle and her dark hair tied into a ponytail.

"Wow! I knew that would look nice on ya Eddie!" Edward smiled at the compliment. The only compliments he ever received were mostly from Oswald. "Thank you, Miss Harley. You look very nice yourself." Harley giggled as she skipped towards the door, practically dragging Edward toward it. "Thanks! I don't get called pretty very often. Now come on, the Lounge is about ta open!" Edward quirked a brow at her. "Won't you get kicked out for being underage?" Harley just grinned at him. "That's what fake id's are for darling! I had a friend make 'em!" she said cheerfully. Edward chuckled, shaking his head. He had to admit, he was starting to grow fond of her. 'This must be what having a sister is like.' he thought as he followed her, gasping when he finally caught sight of the Iceberg Lounge. He looked at the flashing bright lights from inside, billions of people waiting to get inside.

Then, Edward saw the man that made his heart flutter and his legs wobble every time he saw him. Oswald Cobblepot, looking dapper as ever and sporting a slicked back hairdo stood at the front, greeting patrons. It wasn't what he was used to but it still made his heart melt. 'I need to go to him NOW.' Edward thought as he attempted to run toward him only to feel Harley's tight grip on his arm. Frustrated, he turned and glared at her. "Wait! Ya don't want ta reveal yaself too early! He'll kill ya!" she hissed as they walked toward the door. "Harley I need to see him! He has to know the truth!" he hissed back. Harley sighed and relaxed her grip on his arm. "I know Eddie. But going in guns blazing like that wouldn't help ya. Ya need ta take it easy." she explained in a soft voice. They finally reached the entrance where a bouncer greeted them. "Id?" he simply asked. Harley gave a bright smile and handed him two id's.

"Tha names Harley. This is my brother..Jason." Harley said, the lie falling easily off her tongue. Edward wanted to correct her but instead tried to keep quiet. He hated the fact that he had to hide his identity but it would only be till he found out what he needed to know. "Alright. Go in." he said, moving aside. Harley grinned as she practically skipped inside, Edward following close behind. He kept an eye on her, not wanting the kid to get in trouble while he also kept his eyes peeled. Neither task was easy but he somehow managed. Suddenly, something inside what looked like a giant ice box caught his attention. Curious, he walked towards it, eyes growing wide when he saw what or rather, who was trapped in the ice.

"Oh dear.." he whispered, gulping. He saw the perfect replica of himself, frozen in time, wearing a shimmery green suit and a black bowler hat he swore belonged to Oswald at some point. Looking closer he saw angry red incision marks poking out from under the high collar. 'What did you do imposter?' Edward heard his other half sneer to the man in the ice. Edward slowly backed away, until he jumped at the sound of a familiar voice behind him. "Fascinating isn't it?" Oswald said, stepping into Ed's line of vision. "He was once a dear friend of mine..but he betrayed me. I didn't mean to startle you, you just look..so familiar." he said, a sad looking smile on his face. Edward felt his heart pound as he looked into the man he adored's eyes. They looked haunted and bitter. Something Edward only ever saw when Penguin's mother died in his arms.

It was a look of grief. He had the strong urge to grab Oswald and pull him into his arms and shield him from whatever vile things had happened to him but he resisted the urge. "It's..it's fine..my name's Jason." He stammered out nervously. Oswald gave him a tight smile and offered his hand. "It's a pleasure meeting you Jason. Your sister has told me about you and so has a faithful associate of mine. Your sister mentioned you were looking for a job here?" he asked . Edward smiled and shook it, nodding and going along with what he said. "Uh yes..um that is if you have enough waiters." he said cautiously. Oswald shook his head, waving a hand. "No, not exactly. I am in need of a singer. Would you be interested in auditioning?" he asked.

Edward bit his lip, he wasn't sure about becoming a singer for the lounge which had his frozen clone right in the center but then again, he'd have Oswald watching him. Why not try and impress him? He could feel a pang of jealousy hitting him when he looked at his frozen clone with such longing that he believed should only be directed at him. He smirked a little. "I'd love to! What should I call you if you don't mind?" Edward asked with a small smile. "Penguin. Just Penguin." he said in a somewhat cold voice. Edward felt his chest squeeze a little when he heard that voice. He swallowed, questioning to himself about what that clone did to him once more.

Meanwhile, Harley was watching the two men from afar and had a small smile on her face. She felt bad for Penguin, wondering what had happened and why he hated her friend. Well, technically at the moment they were pretending to be brother and sister. She looked at the weird ice sculpture in the middle of the room and shivered slightly. It looked so much like Ed, she didn't know where to begin. 'Is he dead in there?' Harley wondered to herself. She was brought out of her thoughts by the sight of a young red haired girl in a flowery green dress. She was carrying an assortment of plants and hanging them up in various spots in the club. Curious, Harley slid off her stool and walked over to her, lightly tapping her on the shoulder. The girl yelped and spun around, nearly dropping the plant in her arms. "You shouldn't do that! I could've dropped this!" The girl said gesturing to it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean ta! I just have something I need ta ask ya!" Harley said with a shy smile. The girl sighed. "You're way too young to be did you get in?" the girl asked, ignoring her question. Harley grinned. "Fake id. Also, my brother needs a job and I came with for tha pure hell of it." she said with a giggle. The girl let out a small chuckle of her own. "What's your name? Are you that new street kid?" Harley smirked. "Yes I am! Harleen, but everyone calls me Harley!" she said happily, holding her hand out to the taller girl. The girl smiled back at her. "Ivy. Nice to meet you Harley." Ivy said with a friendly smile as she shook her hand.

Harley grinned. "Hey, out of curiousity, what's with tha big ice cube in the middle of tha room?" she asked. Ivy smirked to herself. "He was Pengy's best friend. He had fallen in love with him before things went to hell." Harley tilted her head, studying the man in the ice cube. "What caused everything to spiral?" Ivy sighed, taking a seat and motioning for Harley to sit across from her. "I don't know much, but Pengy told me he was seeing some weird girl and eventually started to hurt him. I found him on the surface barely alive, with a bullet wound in his stomach. He survived, but he was miserable after. I heard him cry himself to sleep when he first woke up. I wished I could do more to help him. The only way I could was help him with his revenge and even then he could barley bring himself to go through with it." Ivy looked back at the ice block.

"And because he never wanted to forget, he froze him." Harley was stunned by the end of her story. "That's..that's terrible." she whispered. Ivy nodded in agreement. "It is. Now he has sworn off love. He hides his emotions and refuses to let anyone in. I've noticed him speak to Victor Zsasz alot. All I hope is that he at least opens up to him." Ivy said. Harley looked at Oswald across the room, talking to Ed or 'Jason' as he had to go by. 'Eddie's not going to be happy about what's happened.' Harley thought sadly. She turned back to Ivy with a small smile. "It was nice meeting ya Ivy! I should probably get back to my brother now." she said, Ivy smiled. "It was nice meeting you too! I hope to see you again, maybe I can introduce you to some of my friends!" Harley smiled widely. "Sounds like a plan!" she said, jumping out of her seat and waved at Ivy one more time as she started walking to them just as Oswald started to walk off. Edward hurried over to her, with a nervous look on his face. "Did you talk to anyone?" he asked when he was sure Oswald was out of earshot. Harley sighed and shook her head.

"It's not looking good Eddie. That clone of you did something bad to him." she said. Edward swallowed hard, brows furrowed. "Tell me." he said. Harley lead Ed outside, afraid he might cause a scene. "Well, it's a long story, ya clone fell in love with a girl that looked like someone called Kristen and he acted stand offish to your feathered friend. Poor guy got jealous and he killed her. Then ya clone hatched a brutal scheme of revenge and shot him. Twice." Harley explained. Edward listened intently, feeling the anger growing steadily. It wasn't Oswald he was furious with, it was the Court. They had taken the man he loved away from him, they had destroyed everything. "Ya alright Eddie?" Harley asked. Edward hadn't noticed the expression on his face had changed. He looked back at Harley, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Do you know where the closest apartment building from here is?" Harley quickly nodded.

"Yeah, sure I do! I've been around this neighborhood since I was seven!" Harley led him to an old apartment building on Grundy Street. "Some say, there's an apartment where a horrendous crime was committed. Nobody ever rented it cause they thought it was haunted. Why did ya want ta come here anyway?" Edward swallowed as he entered the apartment building. "I thought it was time to go home." he said in slight dark and detached voice. He slowly went up the stairs to his old apartment, Harley trailing behind him. "I've been gone for so long...I had hopes that I might be able to tell him the truth..but I might never get that chance now." Edward growled, the sound making Harley gulp, her brows creased in worry. Then he turned to her, eyes dark and devoid of all emotion. "I will destroy them. Every last one. But first I have to try and pick up the pieces." Harley slowly stepped towards him.

"Ya need ta talk ta Penguin. He need you now more than ever." she said gently. Edward swallowed, feeling his legs start to give out from the whirl of emotions he felt at hearing his name. "I..I know.." Edward turned and looked out at the night sky. "I'm just worried he won't believe me..when I tell him the one in the ice is a copy.." he said, trying to keep a grip on his emotions and struggling. "What else did that girl you spoke to say?" Harley swallowed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "She uh..she said that..ya friend..never wants to.." she didn't want to finish that sentence, she didn't want Ed to lose hope. "Tell me." he said in a shaky voice. Harley took a breath. "Ya friend never wants ta let love weaken him again. I'm sorry Ed. But you still have a chance!" Harley said, hurrying up to him. Edward shut his eyes tightly, feeling a lump in his throat that he couldn't push down no matter how hard he tried.

"I'm so sorry Oswald...I shouldn't have left you.." he said in a broken sob. Harley gently tugged at his hand. "It'll be okay Eddie. It's not ya fault. You weren't the one that tried to kill him. Just some crazed copy of you did." Edward barley flinched at the touch, his hand limp. "I couldn't protect him Harley." he said, keeping his eyes down. "But you could still love him." Harley said. "Ivy tells me he's miserable without you! He drinks all night sleeps all day kind of miserable!" Ed looked at her finally, the sorrow and anguish in his eyes was unmistakable. "And you're miserable without him." she said. Edward swallowed, tears burning at his eyes. "I have an audition tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be hired. Why don't you go home? It's late and kids should be asleep by now." he said, trying to make his voice sound humorous. Harley smiled and rolled her eyes as she gave him a quick hug. "Trust me Eddie. I'll bet he still loves ya! And imagine how happy he'll be when he finds out ya didn't hurt him? I'll see ya tomorrow! Rest up!" she said as she skipped off, leaving Ed to try and make sense of everything that had happened while he was gone.

 **This chapter was really long! I hope everyone enjoyed! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Thirst

It was morning when Edward finally woke up, feeling disoriented and not sure where he was until he finally focused his vision, realizing he was back in his old apartment. And then the memories hit him, an imposter of himself manipulated and abused Oswald to the point where he didn't want to fall in love ever again and Ed himself had just escaped after being kidnapped the entire time by the Court of Owls and he had been rescued by a thirteen year old. Edward let out a soft groan, slowly getting up off the floor and wincing at the pain in his body. He stumbled into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He was an absolute wreck, his hair was curled and flopping over his face, his eyes were red and puffy from crying himself to sleep and his suit was crumpled. Edward sniffled, turning on the sink and splashing water into his face. He took a breath just as he heard a knock and Harley's ever chipper voice from the door. "Hey Eddie! Ya awake? Are ya alright?" she asked, concern clear in her voice. Edward let out a sigh, leaving the bathroom and going toward the door and trying to keep himself from showing just how distressed he was. "I'm fine Harley..I..I just woke up." he said voice slightly unsteady. Harley was heard sighing from outside. "It'll be alright Eddie. You'll get ta see Ossie today right?" she asked.

Edward swallowed hard, feeling his heart clench at his name. Everything mentioning Oswald seemed to do that. "Y-yes..he said to arrive in the morning." he said, rubbing at his eyes. He felt drained and still a little tired. Sleeping on the floor wasn't very comfortable but he had been too miserable to sleep anywhere else. Especially in the bed Oswald had slept in when he first brought him in and nursed him back to health. He didn't think he deserved to. His entire body ached just a little when he stretched, which caused him to wince. "Well why don't we get going then?" Harley asked as Ed opened the door. Harley let out a surprised gasp at the sight of him. He looked like he hadn't slept at all. "Eddie did ya sleep last night? Ya look awful!" she said stepping inside and immediately hugging him.

Edward simply leaned into her hug, he hadn't really expected it but it felt nice to have a friend comfort him like this again. He longed for when he could feel Oswald wrap his arms around him like that night when he told him he would do anything for him again. He barely even remembered what Oswald smelled like or how soft his hair felt. He remembered once in his apartment when he was still helping Oswald to heal, he'd woken up on the couch to soft whimpering coming from his bed. Oswald had been tossing and turning, he'd hear his voice pleading someone to not harm his mother. Ed would get up and walk to his side, attempting to wake him up. At that moment Oswald had woken up and had clung to him tightly like a koala to a tree. Edward remembered feeling surprised yet oddly warm from the smaller man hugging him. From that point on, Oswald decided to let him sleep in the same bed with him. It had been awkward at first but whenever Oswald had a nightmare, Ed had been there to take them away.

But this time, Ed had failed to stop the nightmares from getting to Oswald, he wasn't there to protect him. "I'm fine Harley...it's just..I missed so much...was this my fault? Did I...did I hurt him?" he asked, feeling his throat tighten. Harley pulled away and shook her head. "Eddie, you were kidnapped! Ossie never knew where you really were! He believed the guy in the ice sculpture was you!" Harley said. Edward swallowed thickly. "I need to win him back. I have to show him that the monster in the ice isn't me." Ed said, a determined. Harley grinned, hands on her hips. "I'll bet we can figure something out Eddie. First things first, ya gonna need ta wear something that'll make him unable ta keep his eyes off ya." she said. Ed looked at her curiously. "I'm not sure if-" Harley grabbed his hand and pulled him inside his own apartment and sat him down on his bed before she went to raid his closet.

"Damn, tha cops left alot of ya clothes! Pfft, not very inept are they?" Harley said as she rifled through and groaning when she only saw an assortment of green and brown outfits. "Ahhh I found something that'll make ya look perfect!" Harley cried as she pulled out some denim jeans and a white t shirt and a grey sweater. "What do ya think Eddie?" Harley asked as she held the clothes up to him. "We'll just need ta fix ya hair." Edward couldn't help but smile a little. He knew Harley was trying her best to cheer him up but he wasn't feeling any better. He still felt like the guilt was eating him from the inside. He looked down at his hands, a sigh escaping his lips. "It looks fine Harley.." he said sadly. Harley pouted and set the clothes down and sat next to him. "It's going ta be okay Eddie. Ya weren't the one that hurt him, it was that nasty clone. We can figure a way to get rid of em!" she said. Edward closed his eyes before looking in her direction. "I need to know who helped him. I never found Butch, god knows where Tabitha is and I haven't seen Barbara since the party at the Sirens." Harley smiled. "I think ya have ya suspects. You just need ta find them." she said.

Edward nodded as he stood up and took his chosen outfit. "You're right. Maybe I could ask around the club if I get the chance." he said as he headed to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Once he was dressed, he stepped out, hugging himself awkwardly. "How...how do I look?" he asked nervously. Harley grinned at him as she stood up. "Ya look great Eddie. Now how about ya hair? I think it should be nice and floppy." Harley said excitedly. Edward chuckled to himself as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess that look could work." he looked at himself in the mirror. "Oswald actually suggested I slick my hair back. It didn't seem to matter though." he said, closing his eyes as the guilt crawled up inside him once more. "I never should have left him alone..." he said. Harley stepped inside the room with him. "It's gonna be fine Eddie." Edward looked at her and smiled a little. "I hope you're right Harley...I won't lose him again." Edward said feeling determined.

Harley smiled. "I'll bet he'll be tha same way about you." she said with confidence. Edward wished he had such confidence to face whatever this day brought. "I hope so..he has no idea how much I miss him." Ed said as he hugged himself. He was excited about seeing him again but also fearful and saddened with the knowledge of what his clone self had done to him. He hated that imposter that Oswald had frozen, hated how much he looked like himself. But that clone could never ever match his intelligence! The Court had been fools for thinking that thing even had half a brain! He was snapped out of his mental tirade by Harley snapping her fingers in his face to get his attention. "Hey, Eddie! Ya dozin' off!" she said with a worried frown. Edward shook his head with a sigh and then smiled at Harley. "S-sorry Harley..sometimes I get lost in thought." he replied. Harley smiled in understanding, she could tell her friend wasn't exactly all right upstairs. Being tortured repeatedly by a weird secret society would do that. Not to mention finding out the one you loved most had been badly hurt by an imposter. She could only imagine the pain and anger Ed must be feeling within himself. "We should get going Eddie. We can't miss ya audition. Ossie's gonna need you." she said with an encouraging smile.

Edward slowly nodded and smiled back at her. He was forever grateful to have a friend like Harley. He'd need all the help he could get if he was to win back the man he loved. "Yes, you're right. Let's go." he said as he hurried out ahead of her, feeling a surge of newfound confidence building up in him. Harley groaned, hurrying to keep up with Ed's long legs. 'God why does this guy have ta be so tall? I can hardly keep up with him!' she thought in exasperation as she ran after him. Once they arrived at the Lounge, it was packed with patrons waiting to get in and Edward was straining his neck to see from the long line ahead of him and smiled when he thought he caught a glimpse of Oswald inside, talking to a redheaded girl. It looked like Harley's friend. 'He looks like a real bird with that hairstyle.' Edward mused to himself as he stared at him with lovestruck eyes. The outfit he was wearing didn't really suit his beloved Penguin but he loved that he was trying to show off.

It always made Ed's heart flutter when he saw Oswald being happy about something. Just then, Harley ran up to him, panting and out of breath. "What did I miss?" she said in a huff as she caught her breath. Edward smiled wistfully before he looked down at her. "Nothing special. The line is getting shorter." he said quickly, excitement and nerves coursing through him at the anticipation of seeing Oswald and singing for him in his club. "Ooooh you in love!" Harley teased, noting the look on Ed's face. "You'll sweep him off his feet in no time!" she said with a giggle. Edward smiled at the thought and stepped forward to be let inside of the club. Once inside, Ed immediatley searched for Oswald, straining his neck above the crowd until he finally saw him sitting at a booth, looking as though he were deep in thought. Slowly, Edward made his way toward him, biting his lip and feeling his heart pound. He glanced at the ice sculpture with his clone inside and tried not to think about it too much.

Soon, Ed stood at his side at the booth, fidgeting with his hands and nervous about what he should say. "Um..M-Mr Penguin? It's Jason. I'm here for the auditions like you asked." he said, unable to keep the nervous tremor from his voice. 'It's been a long time since you first called him that Eddie. I wonder if he'll recognize your voice.' his other half said with a chuckle. Ed resists the urge to roll his eyes and bites his lip. Oswald nearly jumps when he sees the new singer that was auditioning for the club and let out a sigh. He'd been having nightmares about Edward trying to kill him and it had made it hard for him to sleep. He hated that he still missed him, still cared for him even. But what was the use? Ed had shown him the truth behind all those kind words and all their friendship had been was a pathetic get out of jail free card. He was reminded of that whenever he looked at the ice block where he'd frozen the only man he'd ever fallen in love with.

"Oh Jason..it's you..I apologize I haven't been sleeping very well lately." Oswald said with a tired yawn, trying to block out the thoughts of his most recent nightmare. Jason tilted his head in a look of concern and slightly warmer emotion he couldn't decipher. Oswald couldn't help but think he looked familiar. "It's fine..you do look exhausted..are you sure you should be um..working?" he said a bit nervously. Oswald bit back a smile and instead looked at him with blank stare and thin smile. "I assure you, I'm fine. We should get this over with, I have others waiting to audition for a spot." Oswald said as he stood up and led him to the stage.

The last thing he wanted was another potential friendship with another jittery loser. Ed bit back a sigh as he followed him. He hated seeing Oswald like this. He remembered how he used to have to carry him upstairs to bed when he was mayor because he overworked himself daily. He hated what his clone had put him through. What hurt the most was how emotionless Oswald looked, like his very soul had left his body and left him a mere shell of a man. He wished he could reveal himself to Oswald at that moment and promise to never let anything happen to him ever again. But he had to wait, now was not the time. Edward was led to the stage and he nervously walked up to the microphone. Oswald gave him another thin smile. "Good luck." he said simply before he walked off to sit in the audience. Ed swallowed hard as he looked at the large group of people watching him. He'd never really been on stage before except for a few school plays and those usually never ended well. Ed tried to think of a song until he had it, it was a sad one but it would work. He heard the piano start to play and he let the words flow, _"_ I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light  
Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along.

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
You still have all of me, me, me." Edward finished the song softly, his eyes had been closed the entire time, feeling so many emotions pass through him at once, feeling his heart break for the one he loved most, how he'd let him be hurt because he had left. He felt broken without him and part of him hoped Oswald would hear it and know it was him. He finally opened his eyes, hearing the crowd clapping and he couldn't help the shy smile that pulled at his lips as he glanced at Oswald who seemed to be wiping at his eye. Slowly he got off the stage, hurrying once more to find Oswald who had now vacated the small booth. Edward huffed as he looked around, only to hear a cry. His eyes instantly turned to a dark corner of the club where he saw Oswald being pinned against the wall by an unruly patron.

Oswald seemed to be struggling and looking at the man angrily. "What do you think you're doing?! Let me go or else!" Oswald sneered, showing his teeth threateningly at him. The man laughed and shook his head. "You're nothing more than a weak little freak! I heard Gordon was teaming up with some pretty little lady to take you down. You're days are numbered Penguin! Might as well rough you up while I still can." he said, proceeding to grope at Oswald which caused him to yelp and struggle violently, feeling trapped. Edward watched this display with building anger. He clenched his fists and felt his dark side tearing it's way to the surface as he slowly moved of his own accord, teeth clenched and eyes dark.

He wasn't going to let someone hurt his Penguin ever again. "Hey, sir. would you mind letting go of him?" Edward said in a dangerously low voice. The man that had Oswald pinned looked at him in confusion and glared at him, giving Oswald enough time to dislodge himself and hurry away to his office. "Hey you made me-" but he didn't have time to finish his sentence as Edward punched him hard across the face, sending him falling to the floor. Edward grinned maniacally down at his new victim. "I think you're going to be a test subject for a new death trap I want to use on my clone." Ed said excitedly as he finally dragged the unconcious man away. He threw the man into the trunk of an abandoned car and hotwired it, smirking as he pressed the pedals and drove off to an old warehouse by the docks.

Ed knew he wasn't thinking right, knew he should've let Harley know where he was going but she was a child and he didn't want Harley to be exposed to this dangerous side of him. He parked in front of the entrance and got out, going to grab his victim and dragging him inside. He remembered Oswald had told him this very warehouse was where Falcone had him tortured. He had hardly ever used it now. But Ed was setting it up for something special. He wanted to show Gotham that the so called Riddler that had been parading around in that hideous suit was a fake. He was the real deal and he was preparing to unleash hell on the entire city but with Oswald at his side. First he needed his clone dead.

That imposter couldn't get away with hurting his Penguin and neither could this unfortunate soul. Edward dragged him inside and tied him up to an old wooden chair and took out a blade, waiting for him to awaken. Soon he stirred and opened his eyes to glare at Ed. "Wha? Hey man, what the hell's going on? Who are you?" he started yelling to which Ed chuckled darkly. "My name is not important. What is important is whether I decide you shall live or not!" Edward said gleefully, pressing the knife at his throat in an attempt at intimidation. The man scoffed at him. "You're insane! Just like that freak!" he spat. Ed pouted but was hardly phased. "Clearly you do not understand the position you're in, you imbecile." with that, Edward stabbed the man in his knee, it wasn't too deep but it didn't hurt any less.

The man cried out in pain and struggled. Edward laughed at him, smirking at the man's misery. "What do you want?" he whimpered in fear. Edward grinned sadisticly. "What do I want? Hmmm." Edward pretended to think, only to give him a wide smile. "How about your head on a sliver platter for touching what does not belong to you?!" Edward yelled before he delivered another stab, this time in his shoulder. Blood was steadily oozing out of his victim and Ed smirked. "Now, since I'm feeling a little charitable, I'm going to give you a chance to win your life! For every riddle you get wrong, I stab you. If you answer correctly, you live. Fair?" Edward said holding the blade to the man's throat. The man swallowed and looked at him fearfully. "Okay fine! Just don't kill me, please." Edward scoffed at him and laughed. "That's not up for me to decide. First one, what's nowhere but everywhere, except where something is?" he asked with a smirk. He knew he wouldn't get this one. The man thought for a moment, fear clouding his brain and making it hard to concentrate. "Uh..n-nothing! It's nothing right?" he asked nervously.

Edward groaned in annoyance. "I gave you an easy one. You won't be so lucky this time!" he said with a smirk. "Next one, what's strong enough to smash ships but still fears the sun?" he asked, staring him down and itching to use his knife. The man struggled to form a sentence and quickly shook his head, he was in too much pain to think. Edward smirked as he brandished his weapon, preparing to strike. "Give up?" he said darkly, a cruel grin appearing on his face. The man whimpered. "I-I don't know..please don't kill me.." he begged and Edward laughed loudly, the sound echoing off the walls. "We weren't even a few minutes in! Oh well, I was getting bored of listening to your pathetic pleas." Edward said and with that he stabbed him in the stomach, smiling visciously as he continued stabbing and slashing at his screaming victim, blood splattering all over him. He delivered one final slash to the throat and watched as the man's lifeblood spilled out, grinning maniacally at the sight. "You should have known better than to try and hurt the man I love." Edward said lowly as he then carved a question mark onto the man's chest before walking away to clean his bloody clothes. He decided it would be a great gift for the gcpd to find and would let him know the real deal was back in town.

 **I hope this looks good! Don't worry, next chap will have some sweet fluff! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Losing It

Back at the Lounge, Harley looked for Ed after seeing him drag an unconcisous man away. Part of her started feeling a little nervous, a part of her beginning to think he had just killed someone. "Ed? Eddie where are ya?" Harley whispered to herself as she bit her lip nervously. She started walking to find him only to yelp in surprise when she bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry!" Harley cried out, turning to look up at the person she had bumped into and smiled in relief when she saw it was just Ivy. "Harley, what are you doing here? Where's Jason?" she asked, looking around for him. Harley swallowed nervously and shook her head. "I don't know...he was here for awhile but I saw him leave." Harley said, a little nervous about Ivy finding out their secret. Ivy tilted her head and frowned. "Strange...Pengy wanted to tell him he got the job but he ran off to his office. He looked worried about something and I could've sworn there was a bruise on his arm." she said, worry for Penguin clearly showing. Harley swallowed. "Oh...well I'll go find him and bring him back here." she said and was about to leave when Ivy stopped her. "Harley wait! Maybe you should stay here, at least for a little while. Maybe he forgot something." she said with a smile and a soft look of concern. Harley couldn't help but blush a little at the look of concern on her face.

There hadn't been many people who had been nice to Harley save for Edward. Ed had started to become like a brother to her. She was worried about him and knew he was hurting from this ordeal. She thought about the offer to stay and soon smiled up at Ivy. "Alright sure. I did say I'd like ta meet your friends." Harley said with a soft giggle. Ivy's eyes lit up and she smiled widely. "Okay come on! They'll love you! Be careful with Mr Freeze though, he's a little cold." she said as she started dragging Harley upstairs to a penthouse that Penguin had built within the club. Harley marveled at it once they got inside. "Oh wow! This place is huge!" she said with a giggle.

Ivy grinned excitedly. "You should see the mansion! Pengy says ghosts inhabit it!" she said happily. "Bridget! Freeze! I want you to meet someone!" Ivy called and Harley had to resist the urge to cover her ears. Ivy was pretty loud. Soon, a girl wearing a fireproof suit with tanned skin and what appeared to be burn marks on her face walked down stairs, giving Ivy a light glare. "Ivy, don't be so loud. Some people are trying to sleep." The girl who Harley assumed was Bridget said. Harley remembered hearing about the girl's death somewhere. Ivy ignored her look of annoyance and grinned widely. "This is Harley! That street kid I told Pengy about!" she said, gesturing toward Harley who bit her lip nervously. She couldn't help but feel a little shy and nervous considering her current position.

She didn't want them to know she was associated with Ed out of fear they'd get the wrong idea. Bridget crossed her arms and eyed Harley. "Fresh meat..you wouldn't happen to be a spy would you?" she asked, her eyes accusatory. She was suspicious of Harley and that Jason boy she claimed was her brother the moment she saw them. Jason seemed to want to be close to Penguin which made her a bit uneasy. Harley smiled at her and made an attempt at being civil despite the look she was being given. "No, I'm not. I'm only a street kid trying ta make a life for herself." Harley explained. That answer seemed to satisfy Bridget as she visibly relaxed. "I hope you're not lying. But since Ivy likes you, I'll trust you." she said and Harley felt an odd wave of relief rush passed her.

Then Bridget turned to Ivy once more. "I think Freeze is in the ice room. He's busy keeping the ice sculpture secure." she said nonchalantly. Ivy frowned worriedly. "The ice isn't melting is it? Pengy would freak." she said. Bridget nodded. "Big time. I don't think he's melting but Freeze is just making sure he won't." she replied. Harley listened to the two of them talk, feeling slight worry. What if that clone of Edward got out? It was terrifying to think about and she hoped Edward could win Oswald's heart soon. She feared they may be running out of time. Harley gulped and felt her eyes go wide as she considered the possibilities. "Harley? Harley are you okay?" Harley was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Ivy's worried voice. "Y-yeah, I'm fine Ivy.." she said nervously, a small blush tinging her cheeks from being caught off guard. Ivy looked at her and tilted her head in concern. "Are you sure Harley?" she asked. Harley smiled and nodded at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine Ivy..promise." she said, trying to hide her inner nervousness. Ivy gave her a small smile, still feeling a little worried about her new friend. "Alright, if your sure.." Ivy said before turning back to Bridget. Harley then looked up at the sound of uneven footsteps and the clicking of a cane. The owner of the Iceberg Lounge himself appeared from his office at the bottom of the stairs, a blank and annoyed look on his face. Ivy quickly ran up to him, face contorted in worry. "Pengy? Are you alright? I saw someone grab you earlier." she said. Oswald quickly shook his head, keeping his eyes down. He was only ever like this around his friends. "I'm fine Ivy...it was taken care of.." he said lowly. "The press will be coming tonight so everyone should try and look presentable." Ivy crossed her arms, looking at him closely. "Are you planning on stealing the spotlight? Again?" she said with an unreadable expression on her face. Oswald rolled his eyes and looked at her coldly. "Ivy I don't want to talk about this. I told you how things worked!" he said in annoyance. Ivy looked hurt and frowned at him. "But I helped with this! I saved your life, remember? We're friends.." she said sadly. It hadn't been the first time he talked like this, but it didn't hurt any less when he excluded her.

Oswald simply glared. "I don't need friends Ivy...I nearly died the last time I had one..." Oswald said with a snarl. Ivy felt her heart break and her hurt was slowly replaced by anger. "You twerp..." she simply said before she stormed off, leaving Oswald glaring after her. "She acts like an annoying three year old.." he said grumpily when he finally turned to face Harley. "You again..where's your brother?" Oswald said with an air of annoyance. Harley put her hands on her hips, feeling slight anger towards him for dismissing Ivy so quickly. But then again, she supposed Oswald's state of mind was just as altered as Ed's. Maybe even worse. "I was..just about to go looking fa him." Harley said with a small smile despite Oswald's cold demeanor towards her. She felt bad for him and could tell that behind the coldness there was a lot of pain and sadness. She knew he was missing Ed. He didn't realize how close he had always been. Oswald finally nodded slowly.

"Alright..if you find him, let him know he's been hired." he said before walking off, a sign of him dismissing her completely. Harley swallowed as she watched him go. "Yeah, sure thing. Umm, tell Ivy I'll see her later." she said. Oswald simply nodded slowly in acknowledgement as he walked off. Harley finally left the club, looking up at the sky and biting her lip when she realized it looked like it was about to rain. Quickly, she ran towards Ed's apartment, hoping to find him. She hurried inside just as the first drops of rain started to trickle upon Gotham. "Eddie? Hey, Eddie?" Harley called, running upstairs and gasping when she saw bloody footsteps leading towards the door of Nygma's apartment. She gulped audibly as she slowly walked towards the door and closed her fingers around the door knob. She heard angered muttering on the other side of the door, then a small whimper. Harley felt her heart race in fear. She didn't think Ed would hurt her, but the sounds he was making frightened her a little. "E-Eddie? Are ya okay?" she asked in a small voice as she slowly turned the handle and opened the door. She paled at what she saw, frozen in place with her eyes wide. Edward stood at his window, covered in blood and bathed in the greenlight from the neon sign across the street, making him look even darker. "Oh god..Eddie what happened?" Harley asked, running inside and standing next to him. Edward swallowed hard, barely acknowledging her as he stared down at the city, eyes blank and fingers lightly tracing the window.

"Beautiful isn't it? How easy this city could destroy itself...how easy it is to lose your one true love.." Edward said, clenching his fist. Harley looked up at him sadly. "You can still have him back.." she said. Edward closed his eyes. "They took him from me...did you look at his eyes? They were blank..he was a shell..they killed him!" he growled. "They all deserve to die.." Harley gulped and her eyes widened. "Eddie stay calm.." Edward looked at her then, but it wasn't completely him. He looked deranged, angry. Like another version of himself. "They destroyed him, I'll destroy them!" Edward yelled, before he started pacing and running his fingers through his hair. "In all of this city, there's the one who knows his place and the other one has their gun in the other one's face! They all deserve to suffer!" Edward cried, feeling his anger and anxiety build to disasterous levels. Harley stood back. "Eddie please calm down.." Edward glared. "I'll have him soon...the one with my face will not live for long...he took him from me! My Oswald is gone.." Edward said mournfully. Harley ran towards him and grabbed him.

"Eddie, ya need ta calm down! Ya haven't lost him yet, don't lose hope now!" she said. Edward struggled in her grasp before he finally went limp and a small sob escaped him. "Tell me what happened Eddie.." Harley whispered as she started gently rubbing his back. "S-someone attacked him today..I stopped him..I took him to one of the warehouses at the docks..and killed him." Edward said in between broken sobs. Harley sighed. "Ya were defending Penguin..there's nothing wrong with that." Harley said, continuing to rub his back. She didn't realize Ed had these issues. The Court must have done worse things to him than she thought. Edward let his arms wrap around her, needing the comfort. It was obvious he needed a friend right now. Harley hoped he and Oswald would be together again soon. "I need him back Harley..I love him so much..he looked so blank and hurt.." Edward said with a whimper.

Harley sighed before she made him look at her. "Eddie..everything will be fine..I promise..I know he loves you..he's a mess without you.." she said softly. Edward looked at her in surprise. "H-he is? But my clone self t-tried to kill him.." he said in disbelief. Harley sighed and rubbed his shoulder. "If ya reveal yourself ta him, he'll know who the real Riddler is. He'll know that one was phony." she said gently. Edward swallowed hard, desperately trying to hold in the tears but no matter what they escaped his eyes, slowly falling down his cheeks. "He was my everything...h-how could he not have told the difference? I..I don't understand.." he curled into himself, feeling Harley wrap her arms around him in an attempt to comfort him. "Try ta get his attention Eddie. Show yourself off. Entrance him. I saw tha way he looked at ya while you were singing. It was like he was hypnotized! He couldn't keep his eyes off ya."

Edward sniffled and peered up at her. "He..he was..?" he asked nervously,not really believing it. Harley nodded with a smile. "I don't think a clone would be able ta get his attention like that Eddie." she said. Edward slowly smiled. "There's only one Riddler..I'm the one he loves..." he said, feeling any anxiety he had being swept away by the surge of confidence he felt. "I'll show him it's me.." he said then he frowned. "But what if he sees it's me and thinks I'll hurt him?" Harley sighed and shook her head. "He's not going ta be afraid of ya. Maybe a bit shocked but not afraid." Edward gulped and adjusted his glasses. "I can only tell that what had happened to him had to have terrified him a great amount..I wish I had been there to protect him..I should have been..but I wasn't." he said sadly. Harley gave him a reassuring smile. "You have a second chance now Eddie..It's going to be okay." she brushed some curly bangs from Ed's eyes and bit her lip. "There's something ya need ta know about ya clone...Ivy told me he might be..thawing out.." she said nervously. Ed's demeanor changed and he looked at her worriedly. "T-thawing out? Oh dear...that can't be good.." then his eyes darkened and he felt his fists clench. "But he's not going to touch Oswald...ever again..I'll be sure of it.." he said in a low voice. The thought of his clone thawing out and attacking Oswald made his stomach lurch.

He felt a sick smirk twist his lips. "I hope we'll have time to prepare once he thaws...I know a warehouse we can bring him..I'll make him suffer for every bruise, scar and cut that monster left on him." Edward said, feeling his dark half coming to the front of his mind, seeking his clone's fresh blood. Harley squeezed his hand in comfort, noticing the way his eyes began to darken. 'He's must be one sadistic puppy. Glad I'm not tha one who pissed him off..' Harley thought to herself. "We'll get him Eddie. He'll live ta regret hurting him." 'Or not at all!' a part of Harley's mind thought. She knew Ed might kill the clone, presumably like he'd done to that guy she saw him drag outside. It was scary being in the presence of a killer like Edward Nygma but he hadn't done anything to hurt her and he was mostly out for revenge on the one who tried to kill Oswald. He slowly stood up and looked out the window once more, taking a breath.

"I hope you're right. We need to get him before he hurts Oswald again. I won't lose him to that imposter!" Ed said and soon yawned, feeling tired. The day's events had really worn him out. Harley came up to him and hugged him. "You should get some sleep Eddie. Ya won't be able to fight nobody if you're exhausted tha next day." she said, looking up at him. Ed calmed down to smile down at her and he hugged her back. "Thank you Harley, for everything. I don't really want you involved in this too much though. You're still young. I don't want you or Oswald to see the things I'll do to my imposter. It won't be pretty." he said. Harley frowned and looked down at her shoes. "I've seen much worse Eddie.." she said, hugging herself and looking forlorn as memories started to come to the surface. Edward looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?" he realized he didn't really know much about her except that she was one of the many street kids in Gotham.

He remembered when Oswald was still mayor, he had tried to do something to get those kids help because he knew it wasn't safe for them on the streets. He'd planned on having a home built for them so they could get food and shelter. But sadly, he never got the chance to propose it and have it started on. He could tell Harley had something awful happen to her. "What happened to you Harley?" Harley swallowed hard as she looked up at him. "My step father...he was a drunk, every night he'd yell and scream at my mom..sometimes I'd hear him hit her...he never liked me...if I said one thing ta make him upset I was hit...I was hardly ever allowed ta eat..the only time I could was at school...but even that had been a hassle..the house was always too cold and I didn't have a bed ta sleep on..he had told me my main purpose was to clean and do all kinds of chores..since I was seven years old..I had to steal food from supermarkets just so I could have a meal..sometimes I got away with it, sometimes not. Even my mother started ta hate me..she had been desperate ta move on afta my dad died. He died before I was born..I never really got ta meet him.."

Harley sniffled, feeling tears pricking at her eyes. "Soon, my mother finally stood up ta him but..he killed her..and then..I..I killed him..I ran away before tha police even got to the house. I've been out here ever since.." she said, trying to hold back a sob when she felt arms wrapping around her to hug her. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that..you didn't deserve it." Ed told her, feeling his heart ache knowing she had suffered so much. It made him want to add her step father to the list along with his clone despite the fact Harley's step father was already dead. "Things will be okay now Harley. I promise." he said. Harley looked up at him to smile a little through her tears. "Thank you Eddie. Ya Pengy friend is very lucky ta have someone like you." she said. Edward chuckled a little. "I suppose..if it wasn't for the fact that my clone almost killed him." he said with another frown which quickly turned into a small smile.

"I'll have to replace the awful memories my clone left him with good ones..better ones.." Then it clicked and an idea formed in his brain. "I'll ask him out..maybe to one of those deli shops." he said with a grin. Harley squeaked excitedly. "That's a great idea Eddie! I'll bet he could use it!" she said and started jumping up and down. Edward chuckled, shaking his head at her. He really wished he'd had her as a sister. Maybe she'd have helped him win Oswald's heart sooner than this if she had. "It will give me a chance to find out how badly my clone had hurt him. All the things he had done to him..if he's willing to tell me." Edward said with a frown. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what had exactly been done to Oswald. He could almost feel his heart lurch at the thought of the clone torturing him and abusing him. And Ed hadn't been there to save him. "It hurts not knowing..it hurts knowing that that monster hurt him so much.." Edward said. Harley smiled. "It'll be okay Eddie. But you should really get some sleep. I don't think Ossie would let ya have naps while working for him." she said with a smile. Edward yawned and nodded. It was true, he felt wiped out.

The day had drained him emotionally and psychically. Harley smiled at him and hugged him. "Ya sleep well tonight, alright Eddie?" she said. Edward looked at her with a frown. "Why don't you stay the night? It's very late." he asked, knowing how brutal the streets were and he didn't know if Harley had any self defense skills and he didn't like knowing she had to sleep on a dirty old mattress at that dilapidated hotel. Harley bit her lip and tilted her head. "I should be fine.." she said, scratching at her arms slightly. Ed sighed. "Please? If you're really sure I won't stop you." he said with a smile. He didn't mind sleeping on the couch. Harley sighed, not wanting to pass up the opportunity of sleeping in a warm bed rather than the cold and tattered mattress from the hotel. "Alright, fine. But just for tonight." she said. Harley took off her shoes and skipped towards the bed, sitting and propping her feet up on it. Ed smiled at her and grabbed some blankets and a pillow, throwing them onto the couch and flopping down onto it with a sigh.

He looked up at his skylight, thinking about Oswald, his clone, and Jim trying to bring Oswald down. He swallowed, closing his eyes. He would need to find a way to keep the GCPD off Oswald's tail, but how? Then a maniacal grin tugged onto his lips. 'I will get Jimmy even as he gloats...while I practice my skills on anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with me..' he thought, eyes darkening just slightly before he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep. First, he had plans of regaining Oswald's heart.

 **I wonder if anyone caught the Sweeney Todd references I made! XD**


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